Apertured panel hook and method for manufacture

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a new apertured panel display hook and to a method of manufacturing the hook. The new hook is characterized particularly by the construction of its principal components, a base member and a hook member, and the manner in which these two components are secured together. The base member is stamped and formed of sheet or strip metal stock to provide a cylindrical walled opening. The base member is given a surfaCe plating treatment subsequent to its formation but prior to assembly with the hook member. The hook member is formed of preplated wire stock, which is cut to length, shouldered and headed, and then inserted into the walled opening of the base member. The base and hook members are then locked together by mechanical deformation of one or both parts. The new constructional technique enables extra ordinary reductions in manufacturing cost to be realized while, at the same time, providing an end product which is actually far superior to the conventional product.

United States Patent 1191 Thalenfeld 1451 Apr. 3, 1973 [54] APERTURED PANEL HOOK AND Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE Attorney--Mandeville and Schweitzer [76] Inventor: David R. Thalenfeld, l 6 2-41 Powells Cove Boulevard, Beac- [57] ABSTRACT bur t, N Y 11357 The invention relates to anew apertured panel display hook and to a method of manufacturing the hook. The [22] Filed 1970 new hook is characterized particularly by the con- [21] Appl. No.: 62,271 struction of its principal components, a base member and a hook member, and the manner in which these 1 two components are secured together. The base 2% psccll. ..24s/223, figs/D2156; member ispstamped anqhfoprmgd 9f fig? 9! Strip l O Stock to provide a cylindrical waned opening. The [58] held of Search "248/2231 2205 1 base member is given a surfaCe plating treatment sub- 3? 2] 1/87; 287/203 sequent to its formation but prior to assembly with the hook member. The book member is formed of pre- [56] References Cited plated wire stock, which is cut to length, shouldered and headed, and then inserted into the walled opening UNITED STATES PATENTS of the base member. The base and hook members are 3,186,064 6/1965 Buhrmaster ..29/1s0x locked together y mechanical deformation of 3,216,584 11/1956 Sedo 211/59 one or both parts.

g The new constructional technique enables extra ordi- 2 766 95s 10 1956 Levy ..24s/223 reductons manufacturmg be aimed 3:367:685 2/1968 Church Ctal.... ..287/20.3 while, a the Same time, Providing an ehd Product 2,661,415 12/1953 Daily at al. .....2s7/20.3 x which is actually far Superior to the conventional 2,754,974 7/1956 Larson ..21 1/87 P l,643,755 9/1927 Stiles ..287/20.3 1,702,158 2/1929 Gagnon ..287/20.3 X

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR3 1973 I 3,724,792

INVENTO DAVID R THALE LD BYM g ATTORNEYS APERTURED PANEL HOOK AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention'is directed to apertured panel display hooks. In general, these hooks comprise a base of suitable construction provided with a pair (typically) of upturned lugs adapted to be inserted in spaced openings in an apertured display board. A suitable hook member is carried by the base member and extends outward from the display board for the support of display articles, most frequently carded merchandise. There are several principal types of hook devices in active commercial use at the present time. One such principal type, with which the present invention is primarily concerned, comprises a base member formed of sheet metal and a hook member formed of wire stock. The

E.M. Levy US. Pat. No. 2,926,877, the E.M. Levy et 2 a1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,810,539, and the Mapson US. Pat. No. 2,614,701 are representative of an apertured panel display hook devices of this general type.

In the construction of hooks of the type comprising a sheet metal base member and a wire hook member, it

has been conventional, at least among the constructions which have achieved a degree of commercial success, to secure the wire-like hook portion to the sheet metal base portion by welding techniques, usually electric resistance welding. Efforts to provide more simple, mechanical assembly of the parts have been unsuccessful for a variety of reasons related primarily to an inability to achieve adequate strength in assembled joints. Devices assembled by welding techniques have a number of disadvantages, including extra production costs occasioned by the large number of part and product handling operations, and also by the fact that the welded joints are often defective. Nevertheless, this appears to be the only construction which has achieved any degree of commercial success.

It is a basic objective of the present invention to provide a completely new approach to the construction and manufacture of the plate and wire type of hook, utilizing entirely mechanical assembly of the parts, which may be manufactured at a substantial reduction in cost relative to the conventional, welded unit, and which at the same time provides a significantly superior product, having superior features and a plate-to-wire joint of superior strength. The advantages of the invention are realized in part by incorporation in a new hook of a novel plate-to-wire joint structure which is produced solely by mechanical manipulations capable of being carried .out at extremely low cost on high production machinery and, at the same time, providing a joint of exceptional strength. Additional significant advantages of the invention are derived from so carry- DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apertured panel display hook constructed in accordance with principals of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary cross,sec tional view taken generall along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary back elevational view'of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a planned view of a section of metal strip undergoing a progressive cutting and forming operations in the production of sheet metal base members to be incorporated in a device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 8c 6 are elevational views of a section of wire, before and after the carrying out of certain forming operations thereon in preparation for assembling with a base plate member to form a device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing, the reference numerals l0, l1 designate generally the hook and base members respectively of the apertured panel hook of the invention. In a typical construction, the hook 10 is ing out the manufacturing operation that plating of the provided at its outer end with an upturned tip portion 12 having a balled enlargement 13 at its extremity. Adjacent its inner end, the hook member 10 has a shoulder enlargement 14 and a mounting extension 15. The base member 11, of sheet metal construction, comprises a flat plate section 16 having lugs 17, 18 at each of its upper corner regions. The lugs l7, 18 extend rearward and upward and are adapted to be received in adjacent openings in an apertured display board in the conventional manner. In its center area, the base member 11 is provided with a forwardly projecting boss 19 surrounding a center opening 20 in which the mounting extention 15 is received.

In accordance with the invention, the assembled joint, connecting the wire and base members 10, 11 is exclusively a mechanical joint. To this end, both of the hook and base members incorporate unique features of construction to be described in greater detail.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a sequence of production operations, advantageously carried out on a progressive die cutting and forming production machine, to bring about the conversion of metal strip or sheet stock into individual base members 11 incorporating the unique features of the invention. Thus, the reference numeral 21 designates the raw strip stock constituting the infeed to the machine. For a typical small size hook, the strip stock 21 may comprise a steel strip having a width on the order of 3 inches and a thickness of about 0.060 inches, it being understood, of course, that the specific dimensions referred to herein are intended as an aid to the complete understanding of the invention and not as implying any limitation thereto.

In passing through the machine the strip stock 21 is cut and formed to product, at the discharge end side by side pairs of base members 11, as reflected at the right hand. side of FIG. 4. In the first stage of the progressive cutting and forming machine, the strip stock is punched to provide locating holes 22. In the second stage, the

' tions 23 and separatingslots 24. The boss indentations 23 may be on the order of three-eighths of an inch in diameter and maytypically have a depth of around 0.010 inches. On the front surface of the strip, the boss indentation 23 is :shaped to form a tapered angular shoulder.25 anda generally flat front surface 26.

.In the third stage of the forming machine, center openings 27 are formed in the boss indentations 23, intended for the eventual reception of the inner end extentions of the hook members. In accordance with the invention, however, the initial center opening 27 is grossly undersize relative to the diameter of the hook extention 15. By way of example, where the hook end extention 15 has a diameter of about 0.164 inches, the initial or pre-piercing diameter of the opening 27 advantageously is on the order of 0. l inch.

In the fourth production stage of the strip stock 21, the openings 27 are enlarged and extruded by passage therethrough from the front to the back of a piercing element (not shown but conventional in metal forming work). The piercing element typically is in the form of a tapered rod, the small end of which is readily receivable within the initial opening 27 and the larger diameter of which is of substantially greater size than the opening 27. The piercing element operates in conjunction with a suitable die, also conventional in itself, to effect as itpasses through the opening 27, a rearward extrusion of the sheet metal surrounding the opening 27, providing a rearwardly-extending cylindrical wall 28, as shown in FIG. 2. Advantageously, the punching operation performed on the opening 27 is calculated to produce for the :typical article mentioned above, a cylindrical opening 29. having an internal diameter on the order of 0.155 inch. This is designed for the reception with an interference fit of a hook member extenresulting from the forming of the indentations 34" advantageously forces small key like segments of metal 35 into the walled opening 29, as shown in FIG. 7.

In the sixth forming station, the lug strips 32 are bent rearward and upward, to formthe finished lugs 17, l8,v

and in the seventh forming station a separation opening I 36 is provided between adjacent base members emergtion whose diameter is on the order of 0.164 inch. Typically, the depth of the extruded side wall28, measuring from the front surface 26 to the back surface 30 may be on the order of 0.010 inch.'As will be observed in FIG. 2, the rear surface 30 of the extruded side wall 28 terminates well forward of the rear surface 31 of the base member, providing a small clearance space for the accommodation of the end extremity of the hook member 10 as will be further described.

As an additional operation in the fourth forming stage of the strip stock 21, sections of the metal containing the locating openings 22 are punched out, leaving lug strips 32.'The removal of the locating holes 22 at this stage does not affect the precision manipulation of the stripv stock, as the openings remain in the three previous stages.

In the fifth formation stage, the lug strips 32 are provided with strengthening grooves 33, i which advantageously extend somewhat into the flat type section 16. At the same time, the end surface 30 of the extruded cylindrical wall 28 is acted upon by a suitable deformingdie to .form three radial indentations in the depthof around 0.030 inch and are slanted somewhat downward and inward. The deformation of metal ing towards the discharge end of the machine. In the eighth station, the base members are completely separated by removal of the remaining segment of connecting metal in the corner area 37, and the individual finished base members 11 are discharged from the machine.

. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the completely formed base members 1 1, prior to assembly with hook members 10, are given a protective surface covering, as by galvanizing, cadmium plating, etc. The plating serves both to improve the appearance of the element and also to protect it against oxidation. For convenience of reference, the base elements, being surface protected at this stage of the manufacturingv tected while still in its bulk wire form and prior to its being severed into individual sections in the production of book members. For convenience of reference, the wire stock incorporated in the device of the invention may be described as being pre-plated. Most advantageously, the wire is a relatively hard steel wire surface treated prior to cutting by being electro-galvanized and polished.

In the manufacturing procedure according to the invention, the wire stock 40 for a typical small size peg board hook assembly may have a basicdiameter of around 0.147 inch. This wire is fed into a suitable multiple stage production forming machine (in itself constituting no part of the invention) where the wire is shaped and assembled with the base member 11. In a typical production sequence, the wire stock is fed into the machine and, in a first forming stage, the wire stock is severed to the desired length and shaped to provide a shoulder enlargement l4 and an end extention 15. For the above described hook assembly, the extention 15 may have an axial length of around 0.120 inch and a diameter of around 0.164 inch, and the shoulder 14 7 may have a diameter of around 0.2l0 inch.

In a second production stage, the wire 40 is acte upon by appropriate dies to form a-balled enlargement 13 at the outer end extremity of the wire. The formation of the bailed enlargement 13 is of particular advantage in the hook assembly of the invention, because of the pre-plated outer surfaceof the wire stock 40 is deformed to partially close over the cut outer end extremity 41 of the wire, which otherwise would expose the. bare metal of the wire stock.

In a third production stage, the partially formed wire,

substantially as reflected in FIG. 6,'is forcibly inserted in the base member opening 29, and the projecting end portion 42 (FIG. 2) of the wire extrusion '15 is acted upon by an appropriate staking die to provide three antions 43 are aligned with the corresponding deformations 34 in the side wall 28 of the base element opening to provide a rigid mechanical interlock against rotary displacement of the hook element relative to the base element. In this respect, it has been found that these equi-angularly spaced deformations constitutes an optimum number and orientation for locking the wire against rotation. A lesser number is inefficient, while a greater number tends to increase the overall roundness of the interlocking area and may actually reduce the strength of the interlock. In this respect, resistance of the assembled unit to rotary displacement is particularly important for commercial acceptance. For example, certain of the commercial tests to which apertured panel hook assemblies are subjected involve bending of the wire element at right angles to the axis of its inner end extremity to provide great leverage, and then attempting to rotate the wire relative to the base element to which it is attached. The hook assembly of the present invention exhibits superior anti-rotational strength when subjected to such testing procedures.

In a typical production sequence, after assembly of the wire element to a previously manufactured base element 11, the wire is acted upon by appropriate dies to form the upturned tip portion 12, and also to tilt the wire slightly upward adjacent the inner end to impart a few degrees of upward incline to the hook portion 10 in the completed unit. It is also practical, during this sequence, to impart special shapes and bends to the wire tip, to meet individual customer, requirements. The new procedure permits this to be carried out at practically no extra production cost, whereas conventional procedures typically require a substantial upcharge for special tip configurations.

Significant overall advantages are realized in the production of peg board hooks in accordance with the invention in that a unit of superior quality is producedat a significant reduction in production cost relative to the conventional hook. The design of the hook is such that it may be produced entirely by mechanical operations performed on high speed, multi-stage cutting and forming machines which are commercially available, so that there is minimum individual handling of the components. Further, rather than following the conventional procedure of plating the units after assembly, the improved hook of the invention utilized post-plated base members and pre-plated hook members, such that the mechanically assembled unit incorporates the desired surface finish asit emerges from the assembly machine. In this respect, although the base members 11 are subjected to plating or other suitable finishing operations after forming, it is possible to carry out the finishing operations at this stage with the base elements in a bulk form, without requiring individual handling, counting, etc., as is the case with pre-assembled units. This enables significant savings in labor cost to be realized. In a commercially feasible plate and wire style of apertured panel hook of conventional construction, the surface finishing operation is required to be performed after assembly has been completed because, heretofore, commercially acceptable units were required to be welded at the plate-to -wire joint, and the welding operation would of course damage any previously imparted finish.

The many advantages of the present invention are enabled to be realized by reason of the unique mechanical joint by which the wire hook member 10 may be joined to the plate-like base member with a strength and rigidity acceptable to the large volume commercial users of peg board hook units of this type (e.g. super markets, variety stores, discount stores,

' etc.). In part, the exceptional strength of-the joint is derived by the formation of the walled opening 29, resulting from pre-piercing of the base member to a relatively small diameter opening and subsequently enlarging the opening and extruding the material sur* rounding it in a axial direction to form an extended cylindrical sidewall 28. This extended sidewall, in conjunction with a shouldered enlargement formed on the wire element and bearing against one side of the base member 11, and radial deformations 43 bearing against the cylindrical wall 28 on the opposite side of the base member, provides a joint of extraordinary strength, which is not only superior to the conventional welded jointbut does not involve the significant factor of unreliability which is experienced with the welded joint.

While providing significanteconomies in the manufacture of hooks, the hook of the present invention provides a feature which is conventionally available only as an extra, at an additional cost. Thus, with hooks of conventional construction, the outer end portions of the hook element typically are simply cut off square. Where a balled enlargement is desired at the end, as a safety feature or for improved appearance, it is customarily available only at a substantial upcharge of around 0.5 to 0.7 cents per unit. In the hook of the present invention, the raw wire stock 40 is in any event travelling through a multi-stage forming machine, so that the balled enlargement 13 can be provided for virtually no additional cost, apart from the minor investment in the die in the first instance. The balled enlargement 13 of the present hook assembly performs an additional function, of course, in that it closes the plated outer surface of the wire substantially over the end thereof, largely concealing the raw metal otherwise exposed by the cutting of the wire to length. This obviates the need for plating or other surface treating of the unit after assembly, resulting in major reductions in handling costs.

It should be understood, of course, that this specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be madetherein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An apertured panel hook or the like comprising a. a base member formed of plate-like material and having lugs for engagement with display board openings,

b. said base member having a walled opening therein below said lugs for the reception of a wire-like hook element,

c. said opening having side walls formed by the material of the base member and extending the base member, d. a hook member formed of wire and having one end portion of greater diameter than the diameter of said walled opening, I

e. said one 'end portion being received with a tight,

interference fit in said walled opening,

f. said hook member having a shouldered enlargement adjacent said one end portion,

g. said walled opening being mechanically deformed,

in angularly spaced areas of limited circumferential extent, in a radially outward direction,

h. said one end portion of the hook member being mechanically deformed in a radially outward direction against the rearward portions of the walls of said walled opening and having an interlocking relationship with the deformed portions of the walled opening,

i. the side walls of said walled opening having an axial dimension substantially in excess of the thickness of the plate-like material.

2..The hook of claim 1, further characterized by a. said base member being formed of post-plated material, and

b. said hook. member being formed of pre-plated wire.

3.,The hook of claim 1, further characterized by a..said hook member being formed of pre-plated wire and having a mechanically deformed outer end extremity, whereby the pre-plated outer surface of the wire is at least partially closed over the outer end extremity of the wire. v

4. The hook of claim 1, further characterized by a. the said one end of the wire being deformed to a generally cylindrical configuration of larger diameter than the body of thewire for improved gripping and support by said walled opening.

5. An apertured panel hook or the like comprising a. a plate-like base member formed of -sheet metal and being of stamped and post-plated construction,

b. said base member having a cylindrical walled opening of substantially greater length than the thickness-of the sheet metal,

c. said walled opening having a limited plurality of radially outwardly directed mechanical deformations spaced apart therearound,

d. a hook member formed of pre-plated wire, 7

e. said hook member having one end portion of I greater diameter than that of the walled opening, f.'said one end portion being received in said opening with a tight, interference fit,

g. said-one end portion having a limited plurality of radially outwardly directed mechanical deformations aligned and interlocking with the deformations formed in saidwalled opening,

h. said mechanical deformations of said hook member and walled opening comprising radially outward deformations of the hook member and opening at angularly spaced regions of limited circumferential extent.

6. The hook of claim 5, further characterized by a. said mechanical deformations of said walled opening and on said hook member including three sets of interlocking deformations.

7. An apertured lpanel hook or the like, comprising a. a base mem er having lugs for engagemen m openings of a display board,

b. said base member being of stamped and postplated construction and having an elongated walled opening therein for the reception of a hook member, and

c. a hook member, formed of a severed section of pro-plated wire, received at one end with a tight, interference fit in said opening,

d. said hook member having a shoulder-forming enlargement adjacent said one end,

e. at least one of said walled opening and said wire being mechanically deformed in a radial direction over an area of limited circumferential extent to effectively lock said wire against rotation relative to said base member.

8. The hook ofclaim 7, further characterized by a. said hook member having its outer end extremity mechanically'deformed in ball-like form, whereby the pre-plated outer surface of the wire is caused partially to close over its severed outer end extremity.

9. The hook of claim 7, further characterized by a. said shoulder-forming enlargement being seated against the front face of said base member, and

b. the wire forming said inner end extremity of said hook member adjacent said shoulder being of larger diameter than the remainder of said hook member for tight fitting engagement in said opening. 7 

1. An apertured panel hook or the like comprising a. a base member formed of plate-like material and having lugs for engagement with display board openings, b. said base member having a walled opening therein below said lugs for the reception of a wire-like hook element, c. said opening having side walls formed by the material of the base member and extending generally at right angles to the principal plane of the base member, d. a hook member formed of wire and having one end portion of greater diameter than the diameter of said walled opening, e. said one end portion being received with a tight, interference fit in said walled opening, f. said hook member having a shouldered enlargement adjacent said one end portion, g. said walled opening being mechanically deformed, in angularly spaced areas of limited circumferential extent, in a radially outward direction, h. said one end portion of the hook member being mechanically deformed in a radially outward direction against the rearward portions of the walls of said walled opening and having an interlocking relationship with the deformed portions of the walled opening, i. the side walls of said walled opening having an axial dimension substantially in excess of the thickness of the plate-like material.
 2. The hook of claim 1, further characterized by a. said base member being formed of post-plated material, and b. said hook member being formed of pre-plated wire.
 3. The hook of claim 1, further characterized by a. said hook member being formed of pre-plated wire and having a mechanically deformed outer end extremity, whereby the pre-plated outer surface of the wire is at least partially closed over the outer end extremity of the wire.
 4. The hook of claim 1, further characterized by a. the said one end of the wire being deformed to a generally cylindrical configuration of larger diameter than the body of the wire for improved gripping and support by said walled opening.
 5. An apertured panel hook or the like comprising a. a plate-like base member formed of sheet metal and being of stamped and post-plated construction, b. said base member having a cylindrical walled opening of substantially greater length than the thickness of the sheet metal, c. said walled opening having a limited plurality of radially outwardly directed mechanical deformations spaced apart therearound, d. a hook member formed of pre-plated wire, e. said hook member having one end portion of greater diameter than that of the walled opening, f. said one end portion being received in said opening with a tight, interference fit, g. said one end portion having a limited plurality of radially outwardly directed mechanical deformations aligned and interlocking with the deformations formed in said walled opening, h. said mechanical deformations of said hook member and walled opening comprising radially outward deformations of the hook member and opening at angularly spaced regions of limited circumferential extent.
 6. The hook of claim 5, further characterized by a. said mechanical deformations of said walled opening and on said hook member including three sets of interlocking deformations.
 7. An apertured panel hook or the like, comprising a. a base member having lugs for engagement in openings of a display board, b. said base member being of stamped and post-plated construction and having an elongated walled opening therein for the reception of a hook member, and c. a hook member, formed of a severed section of pre-plated wire, received at one end with a tight, interference fit in said opening, d. said hook member having a shoulder-forming enlargement adjacent said one end, e. at least one of said walled opening and said wire being mechanically deformed in a radial direction over an area of limited circumferential extent to effectively lock said wire against rotation relative to said base member.
 8. The hook of claim 7, further characterized by a. said hook member having its outer end extremity mechanically deformed in ball-like form, whereby the pre-plated outer surface of the wire is caused partially to close over its severed outer end extremity.
 9. The hook of claim 7, further characterized by a. said shoulder-forming enlargement being seated against the front face of said base member, and b. the wire forming said inner end extremity of said hook member adjacent said shoulder being of larger diameter than the remainder of said hook member for tight fitting engagement in said opening. 